OUR VIEW: Barrie Center leads fight against child abuse

Wednesday

Apr 13, 2016 at 10:05 PMApr 13, 2016 at 10:06 PM

The pinwheels that are set up in front of the Etowah County Judicial Building each April are a pretty sight. That’s especially true when the wind blows, creating a whirling kaleidoscope of blue and silver.

The pinwheels that are set up in front of the Etowah County Judicial Building each April are a pretty sight. That’s especially true when the wind blows, creating a whirling kaleidoscope of blue and silver.

As much as we enjoy the scenery, however, in our perfect world there would be nothing on that plot of Forrest Avenue except a patch of grass.

That would mean no child in the previous year had needed the services of the James M. Barrie Center for Children, which creates the annual display (each pinwheel representing a child the center has helped) to commemorate National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Unfortunately, this is an imperfect world where bad things happen, even to the most innocent and defenseless among us. So it’s unrealistic to expect our dream to be fulfilled — for the pinwheels to stop spinning.

This year’s display has 232 pinwheels, 27 more than last year. Most of the children they represent — 88 percent — were victims of sexual abuse.

So far in 2016, the Department of Human Resources has received 649 reports of abuse or neglect involving 975 children, putting it above last year’s pace.

Neither the Barrie Center’s plate, nor those of entities with whom it works, is anywhere close to being cleared as far as child abuse is concerned.

That’s why we’re grateful — and you should be, too — for the efforts of Director Patricia Falcon and her staff.

In case you’re new to these parts, the Barrie Center assists young victims of sexual and physical abuse and domestic violence. It has served 3,000 such children since it opened in 2003, providing evidence that has helped bring their abusers to justice.

Most notably, it allows those victims to tell their stories in forensic interviews with counselors who are specifically trained not to lead them. It also allows them to go through this potentially shattering experience, reliving their worst of nightmares, only once.

We don’t care which, if any, deity you follow or worship. These folks are doing the Lord’s work, in conjunction with local law enforcement, the district attorney’s office and the judiciary, to whom child abuse cases are both troubling and a priority.

District Attorney Jody Willoughby became emotional at a ceremony in connection with the pinwheel display, saying, “You can’t unsee or unhear the things we see and hear.”

Those “things” don’t just affect the victims. Siblings and non-abusive parents often get damaged by the crossfire.

There were 356 of those collateral victims last year, and the Barrie Center has employed a therapist to help those folks.

It’s another example of collaboration, a word used often in describing this county’s multifaceted fight against child abuse.

Become a part of that effort. Support Barrie Center fundraising efforts such as the annual Shrimp & Crawfish Boil at the Fish Market, which takes place May 14.

Most importantly, speak out if you have information about an abusive situation involving a child.

Some of you are mandatory reporters — medical professionals, educators, law enforcement, social workers, the clergy — and have no choice.

We know others “don’t want to get involved,” whether from a disinclination to jump into a family situation, a fear of reprisal or sheer, selfish lack of concern.